Handbook Maratea - where to sleep, where to eat , what to see

a Sywen's review about Maratea (September 19, 2006)

Advantages: clear water, beautiful views, good food

Disadvantages: mandatory car, zero night life, knowing how to swim is a must

This year, my vacation destination was Maratea, in the province of Potenza ( Basilicata).

Looking for information on the internet, however, I didn't find much about this place, which turned out to be wonderful, so I decided to write this review that I hope will be useful for you by now next year.

Where

Maratea is located in the small strip of land in Basilicata that borders the sea (approximately 30 kilometers in total), exactly between Sapri (Campanian coast) and Scalea (Calabrian coast). To get there, you need to take the Salerno-Reggio Calabria highway, which, as everyone knows, is constantly under construction: for about 40 kilometers, the highway has only one lane, full of exits and sudden curves, with few exits.

sleep

Once you arrive in Maratea, I strongly recommend staying at the Hotel-Restaurant La Tana, located in the southern part of Maratea, in Castrocucco. The hotel features a restaurant, swimming pool, and gym for common areas. The cost, for half-board accommodation in August, is 60 euros per person per night (120 euros total) excluding drinks. For more information about the hotel, I will soon publish a review, so keep an eye out! ;)

Maratea

The city of 44 churches (I didn't count them, but I trust the number, there are many), Maratea, is perched on a mountain facing the sea. The historic center is very charming, even if small, and is divided into two zones: the residential and the tourist. If you have good legs, I recommend taking a look at the residential area as well: there are many beautiful views that are worth the effort of climbing a few more steps. Maratea Tourist comes alive in the evening: not recommended to see it before five o'clock if you're looking for souvenirs! Note the lack of parking: if the hotel you chose offers a shuttle service, it's advisable to use it. In the center of Maratea, you can find many local craft shops, but be aware that the most "visible" are the typical tourist shops, the less visible ones have prices that are a bit exaggerated. If you want souvenirs of Lucanian or Calabrian specialties, then a visit to **La Farmacia dei Sani** is mandatory: a splendid shop of typical homemade products, starting from wines, to pasta, cheeses, salamis, and the notable variety of sauces offered, among others, I can mention the famous Calabrian N'Duja (5-7 euros) (a spicy spreadable salami in a jar), black tea or coffee jelly (3.50 euros), pepperchoc (3.50 euros) (pepper and chocolate jam), explosive mix (etc), all products made naturally and without preservatives.

Beaches

The coast of this beautiful Italian view is high and rugged, with mountains dropping steeply to the sea, offering magnificent panoramic views. The sand is pebbly, consisting of small stones and gravel depending on the bays being visited. The water is blue/azure, crystal clear, and very clean, becoming quite deep very quickly (just a couple of meters from the shore and you can no longer touch the bottom). All the bays feature many caves and coves, some visible only by boat (or swimming, if you have the strength). Along the entire coastal strip, there are about 30 kilometers of promenade with many panoramic terraces where you can stop your car to take photos or enjoy the spectacle offered by nature. It is for this reason that I recommend to everyone who wants to visit Maratea to avoid going by train.

Boats

In addition to what was already said about the beaches, my strong recommendation is to rent a boat (up to 50 horsepower does not require a nautical license), with which you can visit the many bays that are inaccessible by car or even on foot. To rent a boat, you can go to the Port of Maratea, but there are numerous beaches that offer small boats for rent. Prices vary depending on the hours of use. What I can advise is to always rent your boat from the port: at the beach you might spend 80 euros for a 40-horsepower boat for 4 hours, while at the port 80 euros for the whole day (excluding fuel, currently 1.60 euros per liter). I therefore recommend renting it for the whole day, because the bays that are inaccessible by car are beautiful and it's worth anchoring there and staying for a few hours to enjoy the sun and tranquility. Remember to request a canopy for the boat: essential if you don't want to get sunburned. If I have convinced you to rent the boat, then I recommend visiting the Valley of Waters which is immediately after the black beach (sailing north/sapri). To give you a more concrete idea of boat rental prices at the beaches: 15 hp 1 hour, 20 euros - 4 hours 50 euros - 8 hours 50 euros; 25 hp 1 hour, 20 euros - 4 hours 60 euros - 8 hours 80 euros; 40 hp 1 hour, 30 euros - 4 hours 80 euros - 8 hours 120 euros; 50 hp 1 hour, 40 euros - 4 hours 90 euros - 8 hours 130 euros. At the port, however, keep in mind that the boat costs the same for a full day as it does for 4 hours at the beaches (so a 40 hp boat costs 80 euros for a full day). Bring only the essentials in waterproof bags... if you accelerate a bit, you might find yourselves completely soaked. Driving the boat is not difficult, it just takes a bit of practice, but it's still advisable to spend a few minutes with the rental person and have them explain the mechanisms well. Also have them explain how to anchor, which is the least easy part, since the boat tends to drift on its own! Additionally, keep in mind that in about 3-4 hours of slow and fairly continuous navigation, you might spend between 20 and 50 euros on fuel (the rental people are tricky and you can't see the fuel gauge...). If instead you want to move around by car, there are still many beaches to visit: the black beach first (4 euros parking near the stairs), then Fiumicello (no stairs, free parking), La Secca, Illicini (always 4 euros parking). By extending the range of your car a bit, you can quickly reach Sapri, or on the opposite side in Calabria, Praia a Mare or Tortora (beautiful promenade full of communal parking lots with paid parking). On average, for two loungers and an umbrella, you spend between 10 and 13 euros, if your hotel is affiliated, there is often a discount of two/three euros.

Nightlife

The nightlife in Maratea is non-existent for young people: there are no pubs, no discos, no game rooms. If you are enterprising and still want to go out in the evening, you can head south to Belvedere (30 km), which has a beautiful view, and head back towards Maratea to stop in Diamante, a small town *very* characteristic, full of little shops, stands, restaurants, and pastry shops, with beautiful murals scattered throughout the city: poems, fairy tales, and paintings wind through the entire center: it's worth seeing them all! Additionally, you can have an affordable seafood dinner along the promenade, which is also visitable during the day as an alternative to the beach if the weather is bad. Heading back towards Maratea, you can stop in Praia a Mare and ask about the Springfield Pub, the only pub in the area that we managed to find. It is completely inspired by The Simpsons and offers a wide selection of bottled beers (Duff excluded!). On Wednesdays, there is even a free first course!

What to See

First, you can keep the visit to the residential Maratea for a rainy day. Then there are the Grotte di Marina di Maratea, which are accessible on foot (cost is 2 euros per person, including the mandatory guide). Very interesting and picturesque! In Praia a Mare, in addition to the archaeological excavations, there is a very particular sanctuary carved into the rock: it's a bit of a climb, but it's free and great if the weather doesn't allow you to sunbathe. Remember Diamante, mentioned earlier, which is excellent to visit during the day to fully enjoy the beautiful mural paintings. In Padula, which is a bit farther, you will find the Certosa, a convent with beautiful gardens. Don't forget the statue of Christ the Redeemer and the church of S. Biagio, the main attraction of Marateo (parking is 2 euros, shuttle from parking to church and back is 1 euro per person), but it's recommended to see it on a nice day: the view from there is complete (360°) and it's worth taking some vivid photos.